Chapter 7 - Secret

Ahhh… what a bother." Yuuto groaned, sprawled on the cold cave floor, watching the blizzard rage outside. "OF COURSE there's a goddamn day-night cycle in the dungeon!"

'Now what..? I came inside the cave because my cold immunity wasn't a total immunity. It makes me more resilient to cold, but after a few hours, even I start to feel a little chilly... I need to eat something. And drink.' He thought as he summoned his status window to view, while rubbing his body, letting out a warm breath.

Status Menu.

Shun Haruno

Level: 50

Rank: Lower S-Rank

Strength: 150

Agility: 100

Vitality: 200

Intelligence: 50

Awareness: 100

HP: 20,000 / 20,000

MANA: 5,000 / 5,000

SKILLSET:

KNIFE DAGGER [LV.MAX] – Summon an ice-cold dagger, as sturdy as the strongest steel. [USAGE: 100 MP]

BERSERK [LV.MAX] – Enter a state of rage at will. All stats are tripled, but at the cost of your health. [USAGE: 15,000 HP | COOLDOWN: 24 HOURS]

KILLER INSTINCT [LV.MAX] – Emit a predator's aura, striking fear into enemies nearby, paralyzing them for 10 seconds. [USAGE: 2,000 MP]

COLD BREEZE [LV.9] – Become a ghost. Invisible to the naked eye, but a freezing wind gives away your presence. [55MP/s | COOLDOWN: 1 MINUTE UPON DEACTIVATION]

COLD IMMUNITY EQUILIBRIUM [LV.4] – Extreme resistance to cold damage—but cripplingly weak to heat.

IMMUNITY [LV.2] – Lethal poisons only have mild effects. Resistance improves with level.

DEFENSE [LV.1] - The higher this skill gets, the more difficult it is to hurt you!

REGENERATION [LV.1] – Heals 10 HP per second. [PASSIVE]

FINAL STANCE [LV.1] – A fatal hit won't kill you. Instead, all stats except HP double for 10 seconds. However, you must kill your opponent within that time—or die instantly. [COOLDOWN: 1 HOUR]

IGLOO [LV.1] – Create a safe zone in the shape of an igloo. Higher levels increase its size—but also its mana cost. [USAGE: 8,000 MP]

"Igloo. Again. Igloo... HARUNO, YOU DUMB MOTHER-CUCKER. Why didn't you raise your MANA!?"

His eyes flicked over his status window, frustration boiling over.

'...Speaking of raising things…' His gaze trailed to his Defense stat. 'If I'm trapped here, I might as well work on this. I don't know who I'll have to fight, but I need to be READY.'

"KNIFE DAGGER [LV.MAX]!"

A glacial blade materialized in his palm.

'If I were an emo, I'd know exactly how to do this... Guess I'll just—!'

With a sharp inhale, he forced the tip against his finger. A shallow slice. Blood welled up instantly, a single droplet splattering onto the frozen ground.

'Shit… I barely even felt that. But damn, I'm bleeding already?'

A small pool formed beneath him, freezing over within seconds.

Then—

HP: 20,000/20,000 → 19,900YOU ARE NOW [BLEEDING]![BLEEDING] [10 HP/s]Duration: 60 seconds

Yuuto scoffed. 'Bleeding like a bitch from such a small cut… Guess this knife really is that strong.'

Then he noticed something.

His HP wasn't dropping. It stayed locked at 19,900.

'...Right.' His eyes landed on Regeneration. 10 HP per second—the exact amount his Bleeding was draining.

'Alright… If I'm bleeding, then—' He grinned, pressing the blade against his skin again.

Another 100 HP lost.

[BLEEDING] → 20 HP/s

This time, his health ticked downward in increments of 10—but the duration stayed the same.

His smirk widened.

'If I make another cut… a bigger cut… It'll still only last a minute…'

His eyes gleamed. He had the entire night to grind this stat. Even if he lost a ton of health, he'd be back to full in 30 to 50 minutes.

Three seconds left on the Bleeding timer.

He didn't hesitate.

STAB.

The knife plunged deep into his stomach.

-17,000 HP

A strangled gasp tore from his throat as he ripped the blade out, crimson splattering onto the cold floor.

'That oughta raise my stats…'

Then he checked the status window.

[BLEEDING: 20 HP/s → ….]

His stomach dropped.

→ 1,000 HP/s.

HP LEFT: 1,990BLEEDING: 2 SECONDS LEFT

"…FUCK."

His health nosedived.

1 second—1,000 HP lost.

2 seconds—another 1,000 HP.

He should have died.

But Regeneration kicked in—recovering 20 HP against a -2,000 HP drain.

The result?

HP LEFT: 10.

[BLEEDING STATUS LIFTED!]

Yuuto collapsed onto the frozen ground, pale and gasping.

'…Haaah…'

His vision blurred, breath ragged.

"Eat shit, Grim Reaper."

Darkness swallowed him.

40 minutes later...

Yuuto's eyes cracked open. His fingers twitched against the icy ground as he pulled up his status.

REGENERATION [LV.1] → [LV.3]! (10 → 100 HP/s!)

DEFENSE [LV.1] → [LV.2]!It's now slightly harder to injure you! Negative status effects have reduced durations, weakened potency, and a lower chance of affliction.

'Heh… knew it was OP. Unlike most people, I have no problem admitting stabbing myself was a damn good idea.' He chuckled.

Health: 19,000/19,000 (HUNGER PENALTY -1,000 MAX HP)Your body is weakening due to prolonged hunger. HP max has temporarily dropped. Eat something to restore it.

'Huh. So hunger actually lowers max HP? That's a bitch. Wonder how low it'll go before I start seeing my ribs.'

His gaze narrowed.

'But anyways... I did it. Damn. Stayed alive due to sheer, dumb luck. One second away from being Haruno 2.0 with how I almost offed myself.'

With a deep sigh, he sat up.

Then—a smirk.

'Ah, right. there's this skill...' His eyes drifted to his status window.

FINAL STANCE [LV.1] – A fatal hit won't kill you. Instead, all stats except HP double for 10 seconds. However, you must kill your opponent within that time—or die instantly. [COOLDOWN: 1 HOUR]

'I could test it now… but no opponent to kill means I'd just be signing my own death certificate. Not today.'

"Alright…" He exhaled, summoning another knife.

His eyes burned blue.

Hunger. Madness. A predator's focus.

He raised the blade, the tip hovering over his stomach.

'Time to do it again…!'

STAB.

Elsewhere...

"Your secret's safe with me. Just don't wander off."

Sakuya muttered as she walked behind Kiril, who was now fully dressed again.

"R... A... Thank you... Miss Yama." Kiril nodded as she hesitated. "Uhm... Nobody saw me, right?"

Sakuya exhaled. She thought of Hojin's presence.

'He definitely saw her.'

But she had zero interest in dealing with high school drama.

"No. No one but me. Don't bother yourself with it."

They stepped back into camp.

"I see... Thanks."

Kiril looked around.

The warm glow of the campfire flickered across her face. Tents lined the ground, food stalls run by hunters filling the air with the scent of freshly grilled meat. Small hot springs dotted the area, steam curling into the icy night.

"To think a safe haven like this exists amidst the blizzard… it's really amazing…" Kiril muttered.

"Yeah. How lovely." Sakuya dismissed, barely glancing at the scenery. "Too bad you can't live inside a dungeon, huh?"

'Fucking kids. Treating this like a field trip. The higher-ups really took it too far this time.'

Then—

"No."

Kiril's voice sharpened like a blade.

Even Sakuya tensed.

"I'd kill myself before living in a place like this."

"..!"

"All dungeons deserve to wither away and be destroyed." Kiril spat. "Cyka!" Her breath trembled, eyes burning with hatred. "Just because I find this place pretty, Miss Yama… doesn't mean I love being here."

A pause.

Then—

"You're Russian, right?" Sakuya let out.

Kiril nodded.

"...So why agree to come into a dungeon?"

Kiril clenched her fists. "Because I want to see you slaughter these beasts."

Her voice quivered—not with fear, but something darker.

"I want to see the light leave their eyes when you kill them… and understand the place they come from."

Sakuya exhaled. "...I see."

They reached camp.

Kiril bowed. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Yama."

She turned, stepping into the camping area—

"What's your name?" Sakuya muttered.

Kiril hesitated. Slowly, she turned back.

"…Kiril."

Sakuya's eyes narrowed. "Your real name."

Kiril hesitated longer this time.

Then—

"...Kiril." She nodded solemnly. "Back in Russia, my parents gave me a boy's name. Because of… the people. When everything collapsed."

Her fingers clutched at her sleeve.

"If they knew I was a girl… Like my mom, they'd…"

She trailed off. Her breath hitched.

"From then on, I was legally a boy. I know I'm safe to be a girl here... but..."

She swallowed hard.

"It just makes me feel safer."

A silence settled between them.

Sakuya finally nodded. "You don't have to explain yourself."

"Thank you—"

"You want to see a monster dying, right?" Sakuya interjected.

Kiril flinched. "Y… Yes."

"How are you with carrying luggage? Roughly 35kg."

Kiril straightened up. "I'll… I'll manage!"

Her eyes flashed with hope.

Sakuya smirked slightly.

"Two days from now. 6 AM. Stay by your tent."

She turned, walking away.

"I'll pick you up."

"..!!!"

Kiril's hands clenched with excitement.

Sakuya barely looked back.

"I'll show you how we slay the boss monster."